Make this a Lose Weight Winter

Try And Make This a Lose Weight Winter. You know what happens in winter. You put on weight. But you don’t have to – why not make this a lose weight winter? It helps to know why we put on weight at this time of year. It is not entirely our fault; our ancestors had abundance of food available and like many animals stocked up for the winter. Their fat reserves saw them through at least some of the bad weather and they emerged thinner but alive.

Today we have a less natural lifestyle but, with Christmas fast approaching, abundant food is certainly available. The tendency to eat more may also be prompted by less sunlight causing behavioural changes such as depression and comfort eating. Cold weather makes it tempting to sit indoors, rather than spend a daily half hour cycling or jogging.

The result is predictable, but for us instead of surviving on our fat reserves we carry on eating and not exercising through the winter. We emerge at the end not thinner but fatter and have a struggle to lose weight in the spring. This is all fairly obvious, but we must be aware of how the problem comes about before deciding how to make this a lose weight winter.

Christmas is a different story but most of the time we don’t eat more in winter. We just eat different foods like sugars and those containing fat. Lack of sunlight and winter depression may cause comfort eating and chocolates can seem a better choice than an apple or a stick of celery. Lack of vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin – also results in storing more fat. Add that to lack of exercise and we put on weight.

Exercise is an important part of keeping our weight down. There are not too many fat skiers and they, like the rest of us, have to contend with lack of sunlight and winter cravings for comforting food. Skiers achieve weight loss through lifestyle.

What can you do to make this a lose weight winter? First of all do not feel guilty about Christmas. Accept that for two or three days you are going to eat too much of the wrong kind of food and probably put on some weight. Enjoy it. But try not to start Christmas on 1 December and finish on 2 January – do that and you will put on a lot more weight than you want. During winter try not to eat large portions; eat fruit, fresh vegetables and not too much fatty meat. Exercise if you possibly can. There are things you can do if you don’t want to go outdoors.

Winter is a good time to join a gym. Swimming is good indoor exercise as is squash for the more active. Of course if you live twenty miles from the nearest gym or swimming pool you may have a problem. But there are plenty of exercises you can do at home without equipment. For the more enthusiastic, weights or an exercise bicycle can help.

Do get outside if you are able, the weather in winter is often pleasant or even warm and sunlight on face and arms helps provide vitamin D. There are many things to do and enjoy; you might even take up skiing. That would be sure to make it a lose weight winter.